Lisa Hunter

Title: Enhancing the professional skills of graduate students and postdocs

Abstract: The Akamai Workforce Initiative includes a program aimed at preparing graduate students and postdocs for teaching - the Professional Development Program (PDP). More than 200 early career scientists and engineers have participated to date, and report that the program is an extremely important part of their career preparation. Participants gain teaching, mentoring, communication, leadership, and research skills. Many have reported that the PDP is directly responsible for gaining fellowships, grants, and faculty positions. This talk will describe the PDP, a unique opportunity open to the IfA, that complements and supports research training